Military drone aircraft crashes in Maryland; no injuries

The cause is being investigated and the U.S. Coast Guard has set up a safety zone around the crash site, officials said.

|
Erik Hildebrandt/Northrop Grumman/US Navy/Reuters
Undated file photo courtesy of the US Navy shows a RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle conducting tests over Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland.

A Naval drone aircraft crashed on Maryland's Eastern Shore on Monday without injuries or property damage on the ground, officials said.

The 44-foot (13.4-meter) plane on a routine training flight crashed around noon near Bloodsworth Island, across the Chesapeake Bay from the Patuxent River Naval Air Station, according to Jaime Cosgrove, a spokeswoman for the Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons program.

Aerial video from WBOC-TV showed a plane-shaped indentation surrounded by burning debris at the swampy crash site.

The cause is being investigated and the U.S. Coast Guard has set up a safety zone around the crash site, officials said.

The Northrop Grumman RQ-4A BAMS-D drones with a range of 10,500 nautical miles can reach 11 miles (17.7 kilometers) above the ground, which is above most weather, and stay in the air for more than 30 hours with speeds up to 391 mph (629 kph), according to the Navy. It is operated by a crew of four on the ground.

The aircraft is one of five acquired from the Air Force Global Hawk program that support more than half of maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems. They have flown more than 5,500 hours in support of combat operations since 2008.

The maritime surveillance aircraft have been used in support of the 5th Fleet, which covers much of the Middle East, including the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf and part of the east African coast.

You've read  of  free articles. Subscribe to continue.
Real news can be honest, hopeful, credible, constructive.
The Christian Science Monitor was founded in 1908 to lift the standard of journalism and uplift humanity. We aim to “speak the truth in love.” Our goal is not to tell you what to think, but to give you the essential knowledge and understanding to come to your own intelligent conclusions. Join us in this mission by subscribing.
QR Code to Military drone aircraft crashes in Maryland; no injuries
Read this article in
https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Latest-News-Wires/2012/0611/Military-drone-aircraft-crashes-in-Maryland-no-injuries
QR Code to Subscription page
Start your subscription today
https://www.csmonitor.com/subscribe